Abstract
The present study is intended to explore two points as follows. (1) Is there such tendency as interpersonal relationships actually suffer a change by the increase of density in daily-life settings? (2) Is there any consistency with the tendency regardless of the disparity of spatial conditions? Analyses and examinations are performed separately into two kinds of residential areas; one is naturally built-up areas and the other is planned estates. In the naturally built-up areas some tendencies are found according to the increase of the density. They are a decrease of the number of friends and an inclination toward both extremities in the types of the geographical distribution of friends, and a decrease of the amount of hours spent for outdoor plays. These tendencies can be said as a whole "a tendency to shrinkage on the friend-formation". However, their tendencies cannot be recognized as a response of the effects of density per se, because they are not found consistently through two kinds of residential areas. In case of the planned estates, the effects of spatial conditions on the friend-formation is rather clear. It is considered as a whole the negative effects of the high density act on the human interpersonal relationships correspondingly with the condition of spatial settings.
